Taking Charge!
by Traban16
Summary: When now high-traitor Sosuke Aizen betrayed the Soul Society, the Captain-Commander found that the problem simply couldn't be allowed to fester. Yamamoto immediately took action, calling forth the single person who could help bring stability back, as well as a new wave of pleasant change. Ichigo, however, makes the old man question his decision every step of the way.


**A/N: Another, another! Another story I've started and have no ending in sight for the foreseeable future! Yes, it's yet another!**

**Summary: When ex-Captain and high traitor Sosuke Aizen betrayed the Soul Society and left it with three open vacancies in it's ranks, the Captain-Commander found that the distressing situation simply **_**could not**_** be allowed to fester. Yamamoto immediately took action, calling forth the single person who could help bring stability back as well as a new wave of pleasant change. The Head-Captain, however, wonders if this hasty decision will truly be for the best, because with the way things are going; it sure doesn't seem like it…**

**Chapter 1: The Only Orange-Haired Man For the Job**

* * *

"Captain! Captain! Have you heard the latest news?" Rangiku shouted as she rushed into the Tenth Division office and stopped just short of her Captain's desk. Hitsugaya didn't even bother to look up from his work as Rangiku came skidding in. His eyebrow, however, did twitch as he gazed over the forms he was detailing, recognizing them as the work his annoyingly lazy Lieutenant was suppose to be doing.

"What gossip has you shirking your duties as of now, Rangiku?" Hitsugaya asked without looking up while Rangiku pouted.

"You don't have to be so cutting, Captain, I was only getting the latest information." Rangiku said before beaming, leaning over the edge of the hard wood desk and being careful not to disturb any of the large stacks of paperwork. Hmm… some of the forms looked like Lieutenant reports… Oh well… "Anyways, have you heard? They're brining in somebody new- a Captain!- to take command of one of the three vacant squads!"

Toshiro sighed, laying aside his writing utensil as he closed his eyes briefly. It had been little more than a week since Aizen's betrayal. The squads were in disarray, the commanding officers were all hard at work trying to pick up the new slack, and nothing was going right. Ichimaru and Tosen's leaving had only deepened the bleeding wound, making everyone doubt and fear each other as the next possible traitors in their mitts right under their very noses. Most divisions were lazing about, unenthusiastic about working when the glaringly obvious and gaping holes in command were hanging over their heads like a threatening storm cloud.

Even Toshiro himself couldn't escape the feeling of unease, fearing for Momo's life as she lay in the medical ward under Captain Unohana's gentle care. He knew what Aizen had meant to her, but the man had betrayed them so easily and then left without even a backward glance. Having known and befriended the villainous man himself, Toshiro still couldn't quite wrap his mind around how Aizen had been able to fool them all into seeing only the façade when his true nature had been the exact opposite. All those smiles, all his flustered stutters after receiving compliments, all those _years_ of festival activities and calligraphy classes taught. All of it had been one gigantic falsehood, an enormous scheme which had probably been going on for as long as anyone's guess. Toshiro found his hands tremble slightly at the thought of what Aizen had looked like when telling him how he should have cut Momo into many tiny pieces. It was like looking at a completely different person.

A completely twisted and maniacal person…

"Captain, are you alright?" Rangiku asked, her normally cheerful face showing true concern for her superior.

"Yes, I'm fine." Hitsugaya replied, "And yes, I've heard. Of course I've heard!"

"Oh?" Rangiku muttered, leaning away from the annoyed Captain.

"As a Captain, I've been made aware of this since yesterday." Toshiro said, placing the form he had been writing aside, "It will be made official at the meeting tomorrow."

"Hmm, I wonder who it'll be…" Rangiku pondered as she tapped at her chin with a thoughtful expression. "Do you think it's someone we know?"

"I'm not sure." Toshiro responded, "I wasn't the one to test his abilities."

"Well, do you at least have a guess, Captain?" Rangiku asked as Toshiro sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"I was made aware that Lieutenant Abarai of Squad Six had achieved Bankai," Toshiro said, then thought better of it with a pensive frown, "However, he has received no such promotion, so it could be just about anyone at this point."

"Well whoever it is better show their face soon! I wanna know!" Rangiku whined childishly, puffing out her cheeks and slamming her hands to the desk which disturbed the paperwork as Hitsugaya glared up at her in annoyance.

"Control yourself, and stop making such a mess, Rangiku!" Toshiro snapped. "We'll all know by tomorrow, so I'd appreciate it if you got to work!"

Rangiku huffed as she stood to full height with her hands on her hips. As much as she was acting like a brat, she knew that her behavior was really out of line. But seeing Gin leave under that beam of light next to Sosu- no, next to that _monster_ in sheep's clothing… it had stirred something inside of her that she had only a few days ago tried to drown in sake with her buddies Shuhei and Izuru. She had never felt so lost in her life. Her oldest and most jubilant friend, the kind and gentle Sosuke Aizen, and the quiet and peaceful Kaname Tosen… all of them high-traitors, all of whom had been conspiring for probably as long as they had know each other. And if Rangiku remembered correctly, it had to have been at least one hundred and ten years ago that Gin had joined the Court Guard Squads under Sosuke Aizen. To think that Gin was planning to betray the Soul Society while serving under the devious Aizen for that long… It had once been like the stuff of nightmares, but now it was all too true…

Rangiku sighed as she took up a stack of forms and began to work in silence as she leaned over the desk. Toshiro looked up at her, worried about the melancholy expression etched on her normally jubilant face. He knew how Rangiku and that sinister bastard Ichimaru had been friends for many years, probably longer than he himself had been alive within Soul Society. If anyone was taking this sudden and shocking betrayal hard, it had to be Rangiku.

"So," Toshiro began awkwardly, not quite sure what to say, "which division do you believe they'll take command of? This new person that's been brought in, I mean."

"Which one, hmm…" Rangiku muttered to herself as she stood to full height once more to strike a thinking pose. "Hmm, well… Squad Three is pretty tough…"

"And the Ninth Division is a great deal of work…" Toshiro added as Rangiku nodded.

"Yeah," Rangiku agreed, leaning back over the desk with her cleavage dangling dangerously within the loose confides of her robes, "the Fifth is pretty tough too, and even with Aizen's betrayal, the members still prospered under his leadership. Do you think the new Captain'll be able to handle any of them? This new guy'll need to really take charge."

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow, Rangiku." Hitsugaya said before giving her an annoyed look. "Now get back to work!"

Even despite his snappish tone, Rangiku smirked as she took up her ink brush.

"Geez, you don't have to be so crabby, I was only curious." Rangiku muttered as she and her Captain sat focused on their work.

* * *

Toshiro couldn't help shifting uncomfortably in his spot between Kyoraku and Kurotsuchi. The last time a Captain had been inducted into the ranks, it had been him himself walking through those broad heavyset doors into the intimidating atmosphere with twelve other individuals who were just as impressive as he was; if not even _more_ impressive. He took in a deep breath as he tried to calm his nerves. He simply couldn't help feeling nervous for the new guy, even though he had yet to meet the person. It could be a female. It could a weirdo like Kurotsuchi. It could be… whatever it was that Komamura looked like now that he was across from the man without a helmet to hide his canine-like features. Hell, this person could be another Ukitake or even another Kenpachi.

But worst of all, in the back of his mind there was a thought Toshiro didn't want to give rise to. In the depth of his soul, he thought for a sinking moment that the newbie could just as easily be another traitor like Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tosen had all been.

Glancing around, Toshiro saw that he was not the only restless one in the room. Ukitake looked winded and paler than usual just by standing in place, but had his ever friendly smile on his face as he had a nonverbal conversation with Kyoraku, who appeared to be greatly smug in his facial expressions. Kenpachi seemed annoyed with the meeting, as did Kurotsuchi and Sui-Feng. Kuchiki, the nobleman that he was, had his eyes shut to the world around him and appeared deeply impassionate as to whoever would be walking through the doors at any moment. Komamura looked as reserved as always, even with his headgear gone from obscuring his features and expressions. Unohana looked as gentle and kind as always, but there was a nervously flustered air about the way her hands gripped each other at her front. As almost as though she were secretly excited about something.

"Attention!" Yamamoto might as well have roared as his cane-sealed Zanpakuto struck the wooden floorboards like thunder, booming and echoing off the walls to silence all conversation; verbal or otherwise. "As we are all too aware, little over a week today, the Soul Society and these Thirteen Divisions suffered at the hands of high-traitor Sosuke Aizen and his fellow cohorts; Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen. It goes without expressing that the vacancies they have left are little more than glaring offenses to our productivity and nothing short of detrimental to the security of this world and that of the living."

Toshiro saw that all his colleagues understood the hidden message Yamamoto silently conveyed onto them. This person wasn't here because of they were wanted, but because they were greatly needed in this time of distress. Even the normally stoic Byakuya Kuchiki cracked open his slate grey eyes to settle his dispassionate gaze on the Captain-Commander's seated form. It all made Toshiro know that whomever this person was, they were a true blessing to have been around right when the divisions needed them most.

"It was immediately after the defection of the three traitorous Captains that myself and several other key figures in the Soul Society met to determine what was to be done about the recent besmirchment of this society's stability. In this meeting, we came to the conclusion that in times such as these, certain measures must be taken and certain obstacles must be removed in order to regain solidity the quickest." Yamamoto went on in his deep, rumbling voice which Hitsugaya found held a trace of annoyance. "Therefore, three others and myself summoned the individual we are here to induct, and tested his abilities and his qualifications for the position."

Toshiro narrowed his icy turquoise eyes, and found that he wasn't the only one who wanted to know who the three were that had been called forth to test the newbie. Kyoraku seemed especially smug about something as he grinned widely, and Unohana looked almost as if she were embarrassed by something. Ukitake's charming smile broadened into something of akin to pride while Kuchiki's eyes shut in annoyance. Kenpachi seemed elated about the idea of a new person to fight, and Kurotsuchi looked vaguely interested; probably for the idea of experimenting on this new individual. Sui-Feng appeared equally as annoyed as Kuchiki as she narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists. Komamura, however, was quiet about his own reaction, standing like a large statue as he never let his expression waver.

"Through several demonstrations of the individual's abilities and extensive questioning, we four conducted an examination to thoroughly evaluate this person. I am pleased to announce that we found only a marginal amount of shortcomings in his abilities and none so in his character." Yamamoto announced as Toshiro felt his heart beat rapidly in his chest. They were drawing ever closer to a name and face that would soon be associated with the captaincy of one of the three empty divisions. "And so at this time, I would like to introduce you to the individual who shall be taking up the captaincy formerly held by Sosuke Aizen."

Toshiro felt his heart skip a beat as his eyes went wide. This person was to take over in Aizen's traitorous stead? Even though it had been a possibility, Toshiro wasn't quite sure why it was now so shocking to him.

"Momo…" Hitsugaya mouthed wordlessly to himself as Yamamoto opened his solemn crimson eyes to gaze upon the doors that sat parallel to him.

"The new Captain of the Fifth Division…" Yamamoto announced as the double doors creaked open slowly and everyone's attention went to the person standing just outside of them, "…Ichigo Kurosaki…"

Hearing the name of the Ryoka whom he had only known about through reports was so different than seeing him in person, Toshiro thought to himself. Ichigo stood tall, as tall as any average man if not a bit taller, and his vibrant orange hair was the very first thing Toshiro noticed about the boy. His scowl was set firm, and his brown eyes were hardened with an unusually amount of determination within their depths. His enormous sword was strapped to his back with the red rosary roping around him at a diagonal. Even still, Kurosaki was not looking back at any of them as they all took in his appearance as one of them; the white haori standing out against his bright orange hair and the red rosary that looped over it.

No, Kurosaki was shifting the haori around his shoulders, tugging at it's long sleeves and muttering curses as he finally noticed that the doors had opened with everyone's attention locked solely on him. His scowl seemed to deepen somewhat as he moved into the assembly hall's room, his footsteps echoing in the silence while the Captains observed him.

"Geez, why do these damn things have to be so uncomfortable," were the first words out of Kurosaki's mouth as a range of reactions followed like ripples in a pond after being disturbed by a rock.

Kyoraku chuckled as Ukitake looked to his longtime friend with amusement laced under admonishment. Kenpachi grinned seeing that it was Ichigo who was gonna be his new training partner. Kurotsuchi seemed to salivate with the thought of all the wonderful experiments and tests he could run on the Human-turned-Shinigami; for the sake of discovery, of course.

"Who are you to walk into this assembly and criticize our uniform!" Sui-Feng snapped venomously, not liking one bit that the Ryoka-boy was being honored with the rank of Captain when he should have been put to death for disturbing the peace. Even if it had thrown a wrench into Aizen's plans, as well as helped them catch the villainous bastard in his treacherous acts. This hate for the orange-haired boy had nothing to do with his being Yoruichi's newest student. No, absolutely nothing at all…

Komamura seemed more interested with Kurosaki's cleaver-like sword than reprimanding the teen on his comment. Even Kuchiki bit back an annoyed comment as he snapped his eyes shut to remain dignified, unlike the raving Sui-Feng.

Unohana gave a gentle frown at Kurosaki's comment, but then sighed with a light smile as she turned back in position.

"That haori is a symbol of our pride and honor in the protection of all souls against any who wish to inflict harm onto others, and as such you should wear it with immense pride." Yamamoto uttered, locking eyes with Kurosaki. "It is not something I wish to know has been cast aside too often simply because you find it to be a nuisance."

"Yeah, yeah…" Ichigo replied dismissively, not really all that bothered by the article of clothing. They hadn't made one fit for him, what with everyone so busy at work around the place. So, they had simply handed him one from that evil Aizen guy's closet. Though it was a bit tight around the shoulders, and a little too small for his tastes in comforts, he'd live with it until they gave him his own.

* * *

"You do not address to the Head-Captain like that, Kurosaki." Komamura spoke up for the first time in a low rumble of his normally cool voice.

"Hmm, you say something, man?" Ichigo asked, not having looked around at the others when he walked in and stopped just short of the assembled Captains. No, his eyes had been locked on the old man, wondering why the old geezer got to have a chair to sit down in while the others were standing around him.

Ichigo looked up the line and had to tilt his head up some to see the impressive height of Sajin Komamura. The man was bulky, but his face was what got Ichigo's attention. While Ichigo knew Soul Society was filled with strange individuals, ranging from what he had heard about Mayuri and knew of Kenpachi on one end while at the other end of the spectrum were people like Ganju and Hanataro, Ichigo was still surprised to see that Soul Society could be even stranger. Though he let his surprise fade just as quickly as it had come. He had no room to talk about Soul Society with all the crazy things he had been through the last few months.

"I said to address the Head-Captain with some respect, Kurosaki." Komamura repeated sternly, "It is a great fortune to you and your friends that you should still draw breath now. It is even greater fortune that you stand here before us today as one among these ranks instead of being hunted."

"If you say so," Ichigo dismissed, not one to care what others thought of him, and it was glaringly obvious this big guy didn't think much of him at all.

"Do not mistake me, Kuro-"

"Can you just call me Ichigo?" Ichigo interrupted with a sigh, annoyed at just how stiff the big guy was being with him, "All this formal stuff is annoying, and I don't even know your name, man."

"I am Sajin Komamura, Captain of the Seventh Division." Komamura introduced as Ichigo nodded.

"Good to meet ya, Sajin." Ichigo replied, surprising Komamura with his sudden familiarities as though they were longtime friends. Unseen by others, Byakuya's eyebrow twitched with annoyance as his eyes stayed shut tightly.

"_I see, so he's one of_ those_ type of individuals_… _None more than another Kyoraku at best, or Kenpachi at worse_…" Komamura thought, nodding back to Ichigo and letting the matter drop as he turned from the boy. He still hadn't formed an idea on the boy, but from what he had read of the reports about this Ichigo Kurosaki, the boy was exactly what the Soul Society needed on their side right now, even despite what ideas he might have been forming around the young man.

"Have you any words for your fellow colleagues, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Yamamoto asked as Ichigo turned his gaze back onto him, still questioning the chair.

"Yeah," Ichigo said with a sigh, scratching lightly at his scalp with his left hand, "The name's Ichigo Kurosaki, nice to meet you guys."

"Hmph," Sui-Feng huffed, not bothering to turn back to Ichigo as she already detested him.

"Is our deal still going to be honored?" Ichigo asked as Yamamoto stared him down, the air growing heavy between them.

"Yes, you have my word." Yamamoto finally breathed after a long pause.

"Okay," Ichigo breathed like a sigh of relief, "then I'm replacing that Momo Hinamori chick with someone else."

"WHAT?!" Hitsugaya wasn't even aware that he had raised his voice, so shocked was he by the words Kurosaki had uttered. Replacing Momo? Why? How? Why so suddenly and quickly? Why at all?

"Huh? You got a problem with that, kid?" Ichigo asked as he glanced over at the shortest and youngest member of the gathered commanding officers. Really, just how weird was this place when they had kids around Yuzu and Karin's age acting as top military officers?

This one Ichigo's solid chocolate-orbed gaze fell upon had snow-white spiked hair and icy turquoise eyes which narrowed in chilled anger as the short individual that was Toshiro Hitsugaya stepped out of line.

"You can't just replace Mo- Hinamori just like that." Toshiro said scathingly, calming his tone and actions as angry shouting would get them nowhere fast.

"I can't?" Ichigo repeated, before jabbing a thumb over his shoulder as he turned to Toshiro while pointing his thumb at Yamamoto, "Cause the old geezer said I could."

"But what about your division?" Toshiro asked, all eyes now on their little argument as it was rare that he ever spoke out against anything, "So many sudden and quick changes in command won't do you any good."

"I can handle my own." Ichigo assured with little care in his tone, "Besides, I don't care what any of them have to say. If they don't like it, they can go."

"What about Momo?!" Toshiro finally shouted, seeing that he wasn't going to rattle this newcomer with logic, reason, or cool thought. "You can't just take this away from her. She's worked hard to acquire her rank. She trained herself hard- risked her _life_ to become the Lieutenant of her squad!"

Ichigo's facial expression hadn't changed one bit when Toshiro stepped to him. His lips were still curled into a gentle scowl and his eyes never wavered from their strong determination.

"Captain Hitsugaya, control yourself." a voice behind them spoke coolly. Everyone turned to see that Byakuya had not even bothered to open his eyes as he addressed his frosty associate. "Kurosaki is the one in charge of his division, just as you are in command of your own. What he chooses to do with the status of those under his command is not for you to object to nor even your concern."

"Why you-" Toshiro began icily, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked up to see Kyoraku smiling causally down at him.

"Now, now, lets not ruin this happy occasion with angry words and pointed glares." Kyoraku offered, staving Hitsugaya's anger. "This is a good thing, as we have quickly filled one of the empty vacancies immediately after a major disaster."

"Indeed," the ever gentle Unohana said softly, "And what Captain Kurosaki is doing is nothing short of a grace to Lieutenant Hinamori. She will need time to heal and recover her emotions after this dreadful event."

Toshiro felt numb as the other Captains gave their own versions of silent agreement.

Ukitake gave a somber look while he looked away from the argument. As much as he wanted the friendly and cheerful Hinamori to remain in her rank, he also knew that it was best that she did not. She would never be the same after what Sosuke had done to her. There was also the fact that Ichigo had been one of the few to fight against Aizen in the short skirmish before the man's escape, and Ukitake was sure the fragile Hinamori would be sent into shock or do something everyone would come to regret if she had to see Ichigo or hear what Ichigo's opinion of Aizen would surely become so soon after wounds were created.

Sui-Feng grunted, but made no argument. She turned up her nose to the petty matter of a weak-willed girl being cast aside, even if it was somewhat reminiscent of her own history. The difference between her and the pitiful Momo Hinamori was Sui-Feng's deciding factor; where that little girl was sad and weak, Sui-Feng had been angry, vengeful, and strong. If the girl couldn't come out a fighter, then Sui-Feng saw no use for her. Really, the girl was digging her own grave if she thought for even a second that Sui-Feng would allow her to continue on as Lieutenant without every move she made being monitored by Stealth Force operatives. Her ninja were trained to be some of the best, and Sui-Feng was more than sure they could make the girl's death appear as an accident should the brat even whisper treachery in her bedtime emissions.

Komamura gave no indication that he had even heard an argument, let alone taking in the pleading look Toshiro was casting around at his fellow commanders. It was best if he didn't take a side on an issue such as this, especially when his answer would have been to follow protocol; which was that Ichigo could demote or promote any officer within his company to any rank within it's offices. As bright as Hinamori was rumored to be, Komamura was sure that the girl could use the time off to gather herself like Komamura wished he could do. But no, his squad _needed_ him, and Hinamori _needed_ rest.

Kenpachi didn't care one bit about who was getting fired, demoted, or whatever the hell Ichigo planned to do with the girl. All he wanted to know was what time Ichigo woke up in the morning so he could stand over the teen's bed, ready to fight the moment the orange-haired human opened his eyes to look for the sun's rays.

Kurotsuchi was in the same boat as Kenpachi, though his thoughts deviated from fighting and leaned more to testing and dissecting Kurosaki and his friends. Especially the auburn-haired girl and the large Mexican boy. How those humans developed such unique powers was a mystery to him, and he was _oh so_ gleeful for the chance to solve said mystery through intricate work with his favorite scalpel.

Toshiro looked back to Kurosaki, glaring up at the taller individual with as much loathing as he could muster, but couldn't seem to muster up much. Everything that had been said was true, even if it wasn't fair to his friend. Momo was still in a critical condition, and there was a chance that upon her recovery she'd be given her rank back. As much as he hated to admit it, maybe her being pushed aside was a good thing… for now, at least…

"Look, kid, I'm not here to baby-sit some girl." Ichigo said, and Toshiro found that he didn't have to try anymore to make his glare cold and harsh. "I'm only here to protect my family, my friends, and my city. I'm not here to help someone who wouldn't even help themselves to begin with."

And even though Ichigo remembered that he had fought tooth and nail for Rukia, even when Rukia wouldn't fight for herself at the time, that had only been because Rukia had saved his life and changed him for the better. He didn't owe this Momo girl a damn thing, and from what Captain Unohana had told him about the girl's current status, she wasn't fighting too hard to get back up. Besides, it wasn't his job to go around making everyone feel better about themselves. It was now his job, _officially_, to go around making sure that everyone was safe from external conflicts. And he would do just that, dammit, because his name meant _Number One Guardian_!

Toshiro said nothing to Ichigo. He merely stepped back into position, glaring icy daggers at the orange-haired teen. It wasn't fair to Momo, but he couldn't fight this decision. It wasn't even his to fight…

"_Momo_…" Toshiro thought sadly. His fists clenched at his sides. Damn that bastard Aizen. Damn him to the deepest pits of Hell for what he did to Momo! Toshiro would see to it that he decapitated the man himself and then kept his body in an icy prison, only to be shattered into millions of shards a thousand years later.

"Is that all, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Yamamoto asked as he peeked open a single eye.

"So long as our deal holds up, then yeah. That's it for me." Ichigo said rather casually as Sui-Feng threw him a look of open disgust. Ichigo, practically feeling the look on the side of his face, wanted to sigh with a roll of his eyes. Geez, Yoruichi had said the petite woman would be greatly uptight, but Ichigo found that he must have underestimated just how much so coming into the meeting.

"Then as of this moment, Ichigo Kurosaki, you are officially the Captain of the Fifth Division. This meeting is now dismissed!"

* * *

Seeing the others filing out of the room around him, with Byakuya and Unohana being the first two out, Ichigo turned on heel and headed for the doors as well. However, a firm hand grasped his shoulder and when Ichigo looked back, he was a bit surprised that a man as fragile looking as Ukitake held as much strength in his grip as he did. Ukitake too must have noticed this, because he relaxed the hand on Ichigo's shoulder and gave the teen a charming smile while Kyoraku came over to join them.

"We thought we'd take this opportunity to thank you once again for agreeing to this, Ichigo." Ukitake said, smiling. Kyoraku grinned while tilting his hat.

"Yeah, you sure saved us from a load of dreadful paperwork! My lovely Nanao thanks you!" Kyoraku informed robustly like one of the many game show hosts Ichigo used to watch when he was bored, "Though in all seriousness, thanks a lot for accepting our offer. With you taking charge of the squad, we can all rest a little easier knowing that it's one less worry on our minds."

"So he has the strength for the position," came Sui-Feng's annoyed voice as she walked up to the three men and pretended Ichigo was not even standing next to her while she went on, "Now he has to prove to us that he's any good. It takes more than power and muscle to properly command a division. The boy might find himself lacking, not able to see the job through. I give him a month."

"Hey, I'm right here." Ichigo said, not sure if Sui-Feng was selectively blind when she decided to be an ass and ignore him.

"Is that a bet, Sui-Feng?" Kyoraku asked, grinning as Sui-Feng threw him a look, "Because if it is, I'll stake good money on the kid."

"I'm right here." Ichigo was honestly getting a little pissed off as now Kyoraku was ignoring him. Ukitake smiled as he too joined in the new conversation.

"Allow me to enter the games as well. I'll bet that Ichigo not only handles the job, but excels at it as well." Ukitake offered, reaching into his coat's long sleeves. He pulled out a sack of jingling coins. Ichigo blinked, momentary forgetting that they were ignoring him as he stared at how large the bundle was. Where could Ukitake have hidden it on his sickly skinny person?!

"Then it's a wager." Sui-Feng finalized, a sadistic grin of her visage as she too slipped out a sack equal to the size of Ukitake's while Kyoraku reached into his hat and took one of his own out as well, "Kurosaki has a month to prove to us that he can handle the job. An added bonus if he comes out better from it as well."

"Hey, I'm standing right in front of you all, dammit!" Ichigo shouted, but still he was ignored.

"Let's up the stakes, shall we?" Kyoraku suggested, "If we win, then you have to do our paperwork for the following month."

"And if I win, then two of you go to the World of the Living and _personally_ destroy Kisuke Urahara." Sui-Feng brokered, looking a bit too hateful and victorious at the thought of the duo-fighters bringing an end to an exiled man.

"Umm… sure, why not!" Kyoraku quickly agreed with an unsure glance at Ukitake.

"Allow me to make a wager as well." another voice butted in. Ichigo stepped aside to reveal the lower-half of Sajin Komamura. "I believe that Kurosaki may have, as the expression is so termed; bitten off more than he can chew. I don't believe he's aware of all the responsibility he's been given. That is why I'd like to bet against him, if only on the grounds that he may indeed give up after a couple of months. And if I should win this gamble, then the two of you will help me when it comes time to showing Kaname true reason and where his path of justice should lie."

"That's fine," Ukitake agreed with a smile. He knew how much the friendship between the animalistic man and his blind companion meant to the former. Besides, and as much as he hated it, he was sure that he and Shunsui would not lose. Ichigo was too much like… K-Kaien… Ichigo would not give up once he agreed on a course of action; the boy would outlast and overcome. Ichigo would rise to the challenge of administration and politics. Of that, Ukitake was sure.

"Then it's all settled. See you all in a month." Sui-Feng smirked devilishly before she walked away from the small group. Her smirk only grew as she moved further away. Soon, Urahara. Soon your time will come to an end…

"Hey! I'm still here, dammit!" Ichigo yelled after the four Captains, who walked away as though Ichigo were nothing more than a stain on the floorboards.


End file.
